Try it
by Missing Linka
Summary: It's not like any of my other stories: It's about their past and the way it might influence their future. More than ten years after her graduation, Minerva gets an owl from Albus that tells her to meet him. It's not really a happy story, but there's hope.


**FanFic 100 Challenge #: 088– Blue**

**Try it  
**

When Minerva McGonagall apparated she closed her eyes. A lot of wizards and witches close their eyes every time they apparate. They need to concentrate to be able to focus on their destination. Otherwise they would splinch. But Minerva was a brilliant witch. She'd never had problems with such trivial things. But nevertheless, she had closed her eyes. She was scared. Not scared that she would splinch. Just scared - and that was a feeling she hadn't experienced for years. After all, she'd been working as an Auror during the war against Grindelwald. Therefore, she'd seen a lot of evil things. It wasn't easy to shock her. But this whole experience was just so confusing:

For the first time in over a decade she was standing in front of the gates of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, the place she'd called home for seven years. It all seemed to be a lifetime away. Everything felt surreal. Once more, she closed her eyes. Then she took a deep breath. She told herself to calm down. She was a McGonagall. She was an Auror. She was a brilliant witch. She'd been the youngest member ever in the department she'd worked. She'd written a book about becoming an Animagus which had brought her a lot of fame. Albus Dumbledore, the man who'd defeated the most evil wizard of their time and had only recently become Headmaster of Hogwarts, had sent her an owl telling her that he needed to talk to her. And that was scaring her.

What did he want? After all, she hadn't talked to him for years. Of course, there'd been ministry meetings and official dinners and ministry balls and such things they had both attended. But she'd always tried not to cross his path. And now he'd invited her to Hogwarts where she'd met him for the first time about 14 years ago. It had been her sixth year and he'd been her new Transfiguration teacher.

Minerva gave herself one more minute to concentrate on the task ahead of her. Then she opened the gates and started to walk to the big doors that would lead her to the entrance hall from where she would have to use some of the moving stairs to make her way to the Headmaster's office.

When she finally arrived in front of the big doors that separated her from the man who wanted to see her, she'd told herself about a thousand times that there was nothing she should be afraid of. In the last 14 years, a lot had changed. She was no longer his star student, he was no longer her teacher and they were not sleeping with each other. Wait! Do not go there, Minerva ... That was the one thing she had tried to forget. Why did her heart feel that it was good to remind her of that part of her past at this moment in time? It was so stupid ... No, she would not remember such silly things. It had been a mistake and it had only happened once.

The problem was that this one time had been enough: The few men she'd slept with had always reminded her of sleeping with him. She'd even compared them to him. And the winner was ... well, it was obvious! Every time she'd read an article about him, every time she'd heard someone say his name, every time she'd seen blue eyes ... or auburn hair ... or midnight blue robes ... everything made her remember that one fateful night so many years ago.

Finally, she came back to the present and decided that it was no good standing in front of the doors without knocking. So she lifted her right hand and let it touch the cold wood. Before she could think about what she would say the door swung open and she heard him! "Come in!"

Slowly setting one foot in front of the other, she entered the office.

It was so like him ... It was stuffed with crazy things in crazy colours. Some of the instruments made crazy noises. But the most amazing thing in this whole room was Albus Dumbledore himself!

He was not sitting at his desk like she would have expected. Instead, he was standing in one corner of the room feeding Fawkes, his phoenix.

Albus turned around, looked at her and smiled. "I'm glad you came."

Once again, the thought that she shouldn't have followed his invitation crossed her mind, but it had sounded urgent and she'd been afraid that something had happened even if she had no idea what that could have been. But still, she hated it that her legs seemed to have become pudding or something like that while her stomach seemed to be filled with thousands of butterflies - and she could bet that they were coloured just like the things in this office.

It took her some seconds to realize that it might be wise to say something. She swallowed. "You wanted to see me, Headmaster?" Her voice was cold as ice.

For one second Albus eyes clouded over. She could see hurt and irritation in them. But then the twinkle she'd once been used to was back. "Yes, indeed."

He walked over to his desk and with one move of his left hand the doors behind her closed. Then he motioned for her to take a seat and waited until she sat before he took his place on the other side of his big desk.

The moment he started to play with a silver featherlike gadget she realized that she wasn't the only one being nervous.

It almost made her smile.

He stopped toying around with the object in his hands, put it aside and met her gaze. "Miss McGonagall ... Minerva, I want you to teach Transfiguration."

Minerva thought she hadn't heard him correctly. So she just shook her head and looked irritated.

He repeated his words. "I want you to teach Transfiguration," He paused for a moment, "at Hogwarts. I need someone I can trust."

That comment suddenly made her very angry. Who was he to tell her what she had to do? He had no right to tell her anything! That man should better not try to manipulate her again!

She rose from her chair. "And you think because I've never told anyone about you-know-what that you can trust me? Or are you afraid that I will one day tell someone our little secret and you think that you can prevent me from doing it when I'm here?! No, Albus Dumbledore! There's no way!" She walked over to the door and opened it. Then she turned around. "I won't tell anyone. But I also won't work for you."

Albus Dumbledore was speechless. Had he said anything wrong?

Out of instinct he waved his hand once more and the doors closed again.

Minerva turned around and Albus could feel her magic becoming darker.

"What do you think you're doing?!" Now she was screaming.

Another wave of his hand and she was silent. She grabbed her wand. Another wave and she was disarmed.

He knew that she was good a wandless magic. Therefore, he soon motioned for her to calm down.

"Minerva, please." His voice was calm and gentle. "Just listen to me."

Her eyes were still vey small slits and he was very glad that not even her gazes could kill.

"I don't know what gave you the idea of me trying to manipulate you. You know pretty well that I could just have changed your memory. I have to admit that I was tempted to do so back then. But I didn't. I've wanted to do it to protect you. I've thought that you were too young, that the memory was a burden to you, that you would remember me as the monster who stole your virginity from you, something like that. But I decided against it. Somehow, I wanted you to remember it. I know that it was wrong… everything. But I was in love with you, Minerva."

By now, Minerva had almost forgotten that she'd been about to hex him into next year when he'd taken her wand from her because she was wondering why he was telling her these things and what it was that had made him sent her that owl.

"Minerva ... I've asked you to meet me today although I still have feelings for you, not because of that one night. Please let the past be the past." He sighed. "I think there's a new saying: Let bygones be bygones."

She still looked confused.

"I really need a new Transfiguration teacher and you're the best person for that position. You've been my student and I know what you can do. You've worked as an auror, you're an animagus, you're disciplined and you're loyal. I've heard of the things you've done during the war to protect innocent people."

She sat down and he knew that she was listening to him and that she'd calmed down.

Albus lifted the spell and let her speak.

"Headmaster ... Albus ... I don't know what to say."

He had a bitter smile on his face.

"Just say what you're thinking. The truth is always the best solution. Otherwise, I wouldn't have told you the things I've just said."

Minerva started at the floor for a few moments. "Albus ... I'm sorry for the things I've just accused you of. I was irrational. I let my feelings win against my brain. That was silly and childish. I have to apologize. But I really don't think that it is a good idea for me to work here."

"Please, my dear, try it."

_  
Then I see you standing there  
Wanting more from me  
And all I can do is try_

**THE END?**

_A/N I'm thinking about writing a sequel although I think it's obvious that she took the job. Otherwise, she wouldn't be a teacher when Harry comes to Hogwarts, right? Please R&R and tell me what you think! - And I wanted to write a songfic (Try - Nelly Furtado), but after a few lines it wasn't really fitting, so I just used the last three lines ..._


End file.
